Log-towing cradle



Nov. 16 ,.l926.

w. H. PETERSON LOG TOWING CRADLE Filed Anril 2, 1924 INVENTOR W/LLI/IM H. PETERSON TORNEY Patented Nov. 16, 1926.

Qumran states 1 iterate WILLIAM H. rn'rnnson or Gasman, wasrrrno'ron.

LOG-TOWING oeAnLE.

Application fired April 2,

' This invention relates to towing cradles, and more particualrly to a pontoon cradle for towing logs on the seas or inland waters, and has for its principal object to provide 'a device of that character whereby logs may be securely held together and safely and conveniently towed, which will dispense with the" necessity of rafting the logs, whereby the logs may be assembled quickly and with little labor and which provides for easily securingor releasing them from the cradle. It is a fact that logs rafted in the usual manner cannotbe safely towed at sea or on inland waters, except, in good weather, or when the logs are built into rafts that .are bound together at a considerable and-almost prohibitive-expense' It isalso a fact that with all the precautions that are taken in the transportation of logs, many rafts are broken up by rough water and the logs are lost and then they become a menace to navigation. The present invention, therefore, seeks to provide a method and means for transporting logs on the water whereby safety is insured and the above undesirable results are avoided. V

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, lehave rovided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pontoon log towing cradle constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same. 7

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on the line 33 in Figure 2, and illustrating the method of securing and of loading the logs within the cradle.

Figure 4 1s a transverse sectional view 7 taken on the line M in Figure 2, showing the gate valve in the pontoon.

Referring more in detail to the drawings The general plan of the present device is that of a floating dry dock and it consists of two parallel, spaced apart pontoons 1 and 2, which maybe constructed of wood, 'metal or other suitable material and may be round or rectangular in cross-section and are made air and water tight. In a preferred formof construction, as illustrated in the present drawing, the pontoons would be made approximately two hundred feet long, 7

' ten feet deep and five feet wide, and in their parallel relation would rest upon the oppo- 1924. Serial No. 703,694.

site ends of and are rigidly joined by a plu- 1 rality of cross beams 3, approximately fifty feet long and spaced at intervals of ten feet.- These beams are held secure to the pontoons by means of cables 4f that are sei cured about the beams and also about the ends of short beams or cleats 5 that transversely overlie the pontoons; The open space between the pontoons, in thepreferred construction, would be forty feet, ormore,

so that logs of the usual floated in between them.

Secured upon the transverse beams Sand extending parallel with the pontoons, the

length of the cradle,- are stringers 6 upon which the logs are piled for towing.

To provide for the lowering of the cradle into the water for the purpose .of loading or unloading logs therefrom each pontoon length can be p is provided with one or 'more gate valves, as 7 indicated at '10, which maybe moved between open and closed positions by any suitable means. In the present drawing I have shown this means to consist of vertical shafts 11 that are threaded through brackets 12 on the gates and which are provided, at their upper ends, withwheels 13 whereby they may be rotated so that through the threaded connection the valves may be opened or closed. When-the valves are open, water will enter the pontoons and they will sink within the water according to the amount of water that is allowed toenter and will thus lower the entire device.

designated at 16, on the topof the pontoons whereby the water may be discharged to 1 cause'the pontoons to rise in the water. 7

Assuming that the devlce is constructed 1n this manner for loading logs, water is let into the pontoons by opening the gate valves until suflicient depth of water is over the stringers that logs may be floated into the spacebetween the pontoons and cables 17 that'may be resting on the bottom cross beams and between the stringers. When a sufficient number of logs to form a section are in place, the free ends of the cables are brought up'to the surface in the rear of the logs and are attached to'a cable connection. witha Windlass, asdesignated at 18, and'the logs are then drawn in and around up by means of the cables and are secured tightly in position between the pontoons as by means of the cables 1.9, shown in Figure 4.

WVhen all the log sections are in place and are secure, a sufficient amount of water is pumped out of the pontoons to bring the cross beams 6 firmly against the logs, and the forward end of the cradle is then boarded across or filled by a cross section in order to maintain quiet water between the pontoons while the cradle 'is being towed from place to place.

Upon arriving at the destination, the ponteens are towed to the desired position for unloading, the gate valves are opened so that the cradle will be lowered within the water I su'liiciently to permit the logs to float. They are then released by releasing thecables holding them and floated out from between I the pontoons.

It is readily observed how little labor is required in loading and in releasing the logs and how securely and firmly they are held in position while being towed. Such a device is much easier handled'than the ordinary log raft and insures safety,notonly to the logs but to navigation.

prising a pair of pontoons in spaced apart, parallel relation, a plurality of transverse beams secured at their opposite ends to the pontoons and joining the latter rigidly in spaced relation and stringers mounted on the transverse beams, parallel with the ponteens and upon which logs may be bound for transportation, means for submerging the stringer level of said device to float logs thereabove and means for drawing in said logs in crosswise relation,

2. A log towing cradle comprising, a plurality of transverse beams in spaced relation, stringers mounted on said beams in parallel relation and extending at right angles with respect to said beams, a pair of relatively long and narrow pontoons mounted upon the opposite ends or the transverse beams, means securing the beams to the pontoons, valves in the pontoons for the admittance of water for submerging the stringer level of the cradle, and a cable having actuating n'ieans for drawing in logsin cross-wise relation upon said stringer and bunching them thereupon, and pumps operable to withdraw water from the pontoons.

Signed at Everett, Washington, this 18th day of January 1924:.

WILLIAM H. PETERSON. 

